


The Boy At My Window

by Karmagician



Category: Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games (Movies)
Genre: Clato - Freeform, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-06
Updated: 2015-02-06
Packaged: 2018-03-10 20:17:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,723
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3302129
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Karmagician/pseuds/Karmagician
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU ""Please get out!" I pleaded trying to push him back towards the window. Cato didn't budge an inch but I did. He pulled me into his chest and wrapped his arms around me so my head rested neatly on his shoulder since we were roughly the same height. The more I tried to push away, the tighter he held me." <br/>Clove finds Cato at her window one night and ever since that day it's habit.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

The atmosphere in the room was tense. I sat watching my mother as she nervously fussed over the kitchen stove. Her eyes constantly darted back and forth to the clock, watching each minute tick by and getting more frantic every time she did. Her anxiety was understandable. Dad would be home soon, in exactly seventeen and a half minutes, and if dinner wasn't on the table piping hot when he was home… well then, there would be hell to pay.   
Bes wandered in with another one of his toys, "Mom, can I go see Cato now?" He asked her with the best puppy-dog look he could muster. Back then he had been pretty good at it too.  
Glancing at the clock, she shook her head hastily, "No, sorry darling, not right now."  
"But why not?" He said, stretching out his vowels in that annoying tone of his.  
"Because dinner will be ready shortly and we must eat as a family. You know that Bes." She flinched slightly as she spoke, her tone abrupt and harsh.   
With a fallen face my brother came to sit with me. We both knew it was for the best. His brown hair hung over his grey eyes and freckled face when he bowed his head like that. I tried to cheer my big brother up by giving him a nice smile. He was as good a big brother as they came, though he could annoy the hell out of me (and did so on many occasions). He was very protective of me both at home and school, making sure I was never picked on by anyone but him and his best friend Cato. They were both two years older than me, them being ten and me being eight.  
"Could you two please set the table? Make sure it's right, okay? Exactly right." Mom didn't have to tell us twice. We jumped down from where we perched on the counter and hurried into the dining room, grabbing all the stuff on the way.  
We took our time laying out everything; we had to make sure it was just perfect and nothing less. Dad could be very particular about these sorts of things and the last thing we wanted was him to get angry. Nothing went well when he was angry. Mum always stuck up for him in those situations, saying something like, "He has a stressful job so let's not make home stressful too." but he always got annoyed whenever we did anything wrong.  
Honestly, he made me stressed. He took the whole "children should be seen and not heard" saying to a whole new level where we weren't seen or heard. Sometimes I thought he'd be happier if we just didn't exist at all.   
His routine was exact, we would eat as soon as he came home at precisely six-thirty, then Bes and I would go straight to our rooms to play, as long as we were in bed by eight and not a second later. The time that Dad got home was always the worst, my least favourite time of the day. Everything would be fine until then, fun even, but as soon as he was home everything would change. Usually all smiles, Bes would be straight-faced and silent, Mom would worry and fluster and fuss, and I would be silent and wish that I could just be anywhere else but in my own home. And what is a home you don't want to be in? No home at all.  
When the table was set, Bes and I sat in silence waiting. My stomach fluttered, my legs trembled and my hands sweat. I prayed silently that he would be in one of his oh so rare good moods and just be a normal father for once. His best moods were Sundays when we were alone, and also my least favourite day of the week. He'd tell me he loved me then, he'd hug me and touch me and tell me I was pretty. I couldn't help but feel uncomfortable on those days but I never breathed a word of it to another living soul. I constantly dreaded the weekends but thankfully it was Monday, and for a little while that day was behind me.  
We heard the sound of the car pull in and I felt Bes clutch my hand under the table. He gave me a look that told me to behave myself and I tried to tell him I'd try. A few minutes later Dad came in. It's always odd how alike he and Bes looked but, thankfully, how different their personalities were. For one thing Dad was always frowning.  
"Hello." His loud, deep voice echoed in the silence. A shudder ricocheted down my spine with that one word. He took his honourable seat at the head of the table as he set down his bag on the workbench. His eyes were cold so I tried not to look at them. In fact, I barely moved at all due to the fear that I'd do something wrong and get us all punished. I still remember the days before he became like this, before the days where we all lived in fear of him and his moods, but ever since his new job three years ago things changed. He still favoured me over Bes, but generally pretended we weren't there at all, and sometimes he'd even look at us as though he'd rather we didn't exist at all.  
"Hello Dad." We replied mechanically.  
Mom walked in then, right on cue, carrying a plate of food. "This looks pleasant, Paula." Said Dad, giving her a small, almost forced, smile. He turned to Bes. "How was school?"  
Nervously he replied, "It was good, thank you. I had a test and I –"  
He hadn't finished his sentence before Dad just nodded, as if he were listening, and cut him off by turning on me. "Yes, yes, whatever, that's great. And you Clove?"  
His gaze fell on me and I gulped. Be polite. Be polite. Don't ramble. Be polite. It was the same mantra I said to myself every day. "Erm, good, thank you." I replied quietly.  
"Speak up!" He shouted at me. I flinched, jostling the table slightly, thinking he was going to hit me. "It was good, thank you." I repeated relatively louder this time, trying to hold my voice steady. He frowned but let me be.  
My mother sat ringing her hands nervously as she always did. He turned his piercing gaze to her next. "So what have you been doing with your time today, Paula?"  
"Well, I bought in food that you like and did your washing." She answered quickly and without hesitation. She always prepared her answer so he wouldn't catch her out with anything 'inappropriate' and get mad. She had made that mistake once and wasn't likely to make it again.  
I reached forward to serve the potato, but knocked over my glass of water with a trembling hand. It’s contents spilled right across the table.  
Dad leapt up from his seat. "Shit! You stupid bitch!"   
He grabbed my arm and shoved me up against the wall so hard my head throbbed. I bit my lip to suppress my sob, crying only made it worse; Dad said only weak people cry. I didn't want to be weak. His hand drew back and I prepared for the blow. There was nothing I could do but take it, same as always. Bes suddenly leapt from his chair and threw his arms around me so that his back was to Dad, shielding me.   
"Get out of my way! She needs to learn!" He grabbed Bes' shirt and shoved him to the floor with a good kick to his leg that made him moan. "Don't get in my fucking way again, you hear?"   
Without further warning he struck my face so hard the blow was like thunder to my ears, lightning in the pain and acid rain in my tears. His temperament was a storm but it would always blow over then be back again. My Mom just stood and watched it all happen without the slightest emotion on her face and I felt a surge of hatred for both of them. How could she stand there and do nothing while her husband beat her children? Not an ounce of sympathy passed over her face. But more than anything I felt so guilty that Bes was curled on the floor in pain for trying to protect me, as he always did. No matter what he always tried to deflect my father's anger to himself so that he would take the anger out on Bes rather than me. And every time Bes got hurt.  
Our Father picked up his food and stormed into the living room whilst muttering about us being 'the worst kids in the world'. Mum followed him like the obedient slave. I sank to the floor as my legs crumbled beneath me.  
Shuffling over to Bes I wrapped my arms around him tightly, clinging to him as though I were the roots and he were my soil. I muttered my apologies for what I'd caused but he dismissed them all. Crying into his shoulder didn't make me feel any better. He hissed in pain as he sat up and hugged me back, then gently brushed his fingers over my stinging cheek.  
"You okay there, Clove?" He asked and I couldn't help but stifle a laugh at the fact that he was more concerned with me that himself. I nodded weakly which made him smile a little. "It's not your fault you know." He started attempting to get back to his feet but I could struggling so I climbed up and gave him a hand.  
Bes and I quietly grabbed our dinners from the table and crept upstairs. We had a nice house really, with four bedrooms and in a nice area. It was because of Dad's good earning that we could afford it, but I'd live anywhere else if it meant I could have the old Dad back. Bes and I slipped into my room where we ate on the floor next to my bed in silence. He held my hand tightly when we heard a smash and our Dad shouting. I ignored it. Or I tried to ignore it. A few tears slipped over my cheeks because I knew that his anger towards Mom was entirely my fault. I truly was a horrible daughter. Bes wrapped his arm around me giving me a small squeeze, and I couldn't help but envy his maturity for a ten year old.  
He whispered 'don't worry' about a thousand times before my anxiety started to fade. We played cards, which was nice, but just as we finished the third game we heard footsteps coming up the stairs. We both tensed. They passed our rooms and kept walking as we let out our sighs of relief.  
"Listen, I should go since it's past eight. I'll see you in the morning, okay? Don't worry Clove. Lock your door and it'll be ok." He got up and I watched him go.  
I locked my door as he'd said and then turned back towards my bed. That's when the tears really started to flow, so I went and sat on my bed with my pillow pressed against my face and cried into it. I couldn't stop the sobs racking my body. It'd been my fault had happened! It was my fault Bes and Mom had been hurt and I deserved that slap! I'd been stupid, so stupid tonight. I vowed never to do it again. Ever.  
My eyes snapped up as I heard a scratching tap at my window. I didn't expect see a pair of eyes staring back at me and certainly not Cato's eyes looking at me sadly. Something compelled me to get up and unlock the window. I slid the window up quietly and we just stared at each other.  
"Cato, what are you doing here?!" I yelled under breath. He should be at home, what if my Dad found him here? He climbed through the window pushing past me. "You need to go now!" He ignored me. My eyes darted to the door as I thought about the consequences of him being found in here. Dad didn't like Cato coming over at all. "Please get out!" I pleaded trying to push him back towards the window. Cato didn't budge an inch, my feeble shoves barely shaking him. He pulled me to his chest and wrapped his arms around me. Being roughly the same height my head rested neatly on his shoulder, and the more I tried to push away, the tighter he held me.  
"Shh, it's okay." He whispered in my ear as he stroked my hair. I don't know what came over me but I cried right there on his shoulder with a care. I thought of everything that I'd caused with my stupidity and let it out in the form of tears onto his shoulder.  
Since we'd moved in four years ago, Bes and Cato had been the best of friends. Cato was cute according to most of my friends, with his blonde hair and blue eyes. He and I had never gotten on though; he'd always tease me, trip me over and call me names. What was he doing here, hugging me like this? I pulled back to look at him and his eyes looked so sad.  
He continued to hold me as tears shone in his big blue eyes. I knew he knew about my father. Bes had been black and blue with bruises once and was forced to tell him the truth. Cato had sworn he'd never tell anyone and as far as I knew he hadn't.  
"What are you doing here?" I repeated a little less hysterical this time. I tried wiping my face but the tears didn't stop falling. He pulled me down onto my bed and rocked me gently while I cried some more. When I looked to his chest I saw that he was dressed in his pyjamas.  
"I saw you crying from my house. Our bedrooms are opposite each other. I wanted to make sure you were okay." He whispered, still hugging me. It dawned on me that he'd seen me at my weakest. I was never weak. I hated crying in front of anyone but Mom and Bes. I felt so embarrassed.  
"You need to go. I'm fine. Go." I gave him another shoved towards the window, trying to push him from my bed.  
"I won't leave until you have no more tears." He lay me down on the bed so we were face-to-face and his arms still wrapped around me. As much as I knew I should make him leave and move away from him, I felt safe and warm so I just scooted closer, pressing my whole body into his. I sobbed some more.  
When I opened my eyes in the morning something felt strange. Suddenly I realised I was in somebody's arms. Cato still had his arms wrapped tightly around me. I gasped as I looked at the clock. "Cato!" I hissed, shaking him.  
"Ten more minutes, Mom." He said with his eyes shut.  
"Shh!" I hissed covering his mouth. His eyes darted open and slowly he pieced everything together. I can't believe we fell asleep! He sat up and started running a hand through his hair. I got up and pulled him off the bed, shoving him towards the window. He opened it and slipped through but before he could properly leave, I grabbed his wrist and pecked him on the cheek quickly. "Thanks." I said to his shocked face and shut the window, quickly turning away.   
I really needed that hug last night. That was for certain the nicest thing Cato had ever done for me. I quickly got dressed for school whilst thinking about Cato sneaking over here and being in the house when he wasn't allowed. We were so lucky not to have gotten caught. I dreaded to think what would have happened if his parents had gone into his room in the night and saw his bed empty, or what would have happened if I hadn't woken up early. I shuddered, thinking of what my father would have done if he had walked in here to find Cato in the house at night-time. In my bed. But still, he had put a smile on my face.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

*8 Years Later*

I woke to the familiar sensation of being crushed. I attempted to wriggle myself free but nothing I did seemed to make the slightest difference. In his sleepy state, Cato shifted his weight off of me slightly but his grip didn’t lessen in the slightest not that I really minded. He breathed deeply into my dark hair as he spooned me from behind. His heavy arm was draped over me hugging me tightly to his toned chest. Our fingers were interlaced where he held my left hand in his and our legs tangled together where his was slung over mine. I could feel the usual ‘morning glory’ pushing against the small of my back but as always I ignored it. Reaching across my bedside table, I found my alarm and turned it off. I rolled round still encased in Cato’s arms and as much as I wanted to curl into the warmth he radiated, I knew we had to get up.  
“Cato,” I whispered giving his arm a hard jab. He stirred but remained asleep. I sighed. He certainly was not easily woken. “Cato, wake up. It’s six already.” Still he remained asleep. I elbowed him hard right in the stomach and he at least woke up a little.  
“Ten more minutes.” He muttered groggily, pulling me into his side. He would not win that easily. I pulled myself up and looked at his peaceful form. I felt almost bad for what I was about to do. I lifted my hand back and swung it forward towards his face. Just as my hand was about to make contact with his cheek, he grabbed my wrist and he flung me onto the bed beneath him looking me right in the eyes as he hovered above me. His reflexes were something to envy.  
“Tut tut, Cloverfield. How dare you hit me?” He smirked down at me.  
“Well I didn’t hit you did I? You caught me just in time.” I muttered grumpily.  
“And in return I get my ten minutes.” He said while collapsing next to me on the bed. I stay laid on my back just looking up at the ceiling with annoyance. He draped his arm over my stomach, shifting my pyjama top up slightly as he did so. I was very quick to grab it and shove it back down where it didn’t reveal any skin. I sighed and closed my eyes again knowing I would never win when he was like this. Ten more minutes was nothing, no one would catch us. Hopefully. There’d certainly been times when it was close. We both drifted back to sleep almost instantly.  
“Clove, where the hell are you? You better be up!” I heard Bes’ shouts echo through my locked bedroom door. As he banged on the door, Cato and I both leapt upright in the bed with fright. I glanced to my clock and realised it certainly hadn’t been only ten minutes but more like an hour.  
“Er…yeah I’m up. Don’t worry!” I shouted back to him as Cato and I exchanged looks. I watched as he ran a tired hand over his face.  
“Ok good. I’m going to go get breakfast and hurry up will you. Cato is driving today and I’d rather not make him wait. He’s always ready on time.” Bes called before making his way to the stairs. I shot Cato a very dirty look.  
“Always on time are we? Oh I’m so very sorry that I’m going to make us late. It’s all my fault!” I said sarcastically.  
“Yeah you should be sorry. Couldn’t be bothered to get up?” He accused with a smirk. He pushed himself off of the bed and sauntered in only his underwear to where the rest of his clothes lay on my bedroom floor.  
“No I could be bothered but the same couldn’t be said for you!” I said getting up too and choosing some clothes from my wardrobe.  
“Well then you should have woken me.” He replied, pulling his t-shirt over his head then ruffling his bed-hair.  
“I did! But YOU said ten more freaking minutes and now we’re late you asshole!” I whisper-shouted through clenched teeth while slapping his arm. “Could you please just leave?” I gestured to the window. He grabbed my waist and shoved me against the wall, and I gasped slightly dropping all the clothes in my hands so my clean underwear was on full display on my bedroom floor. He laughed at my startled expression as he pressed his body against mine so our faces were inches apart.  
“I’m so sorry Cloverfield.” He breathed right into my face with sincerity on his face. But then he ruined it with another smirk. I pushed him away from me and he made his way to the window. I followed him there just to be sure he didn’t hurt himself like the one time when he was fourteen. He fell when climbing our fence and twisted his ankle. He had to get back to his room without anyone finding out – I still don’t know how he did it – and then he claimed he fell out of bed and landed funny when his parents asked how he hurt his ankle. The window was pulled up and he slipped through it but as I was about to shut it, he paused and turned back to me. He bent down and picked a small white flower that grew outside my window. It looked so small and insignificant in his fingers but the gesture was touching. He moved forwards and brushed some of my hair back, placing the white flower amongst my dark locks. He smiled one of his rare genuine smiles, the kind he saves for when we’re alone, and his fingers lingered in my hair. When he pulled back I couldn’t help but watch as he climbed down, over our fence and towards his own house and room. I smiled watching him go and allowed myself the pleasure of wasting those minutes.  
Then I slid the window shut and went back to the clothes on my floor. I picked them up and took them into the bathroom with me where I had the world’s quickest showers, and then I got ready careful not to disturb the little piece of Cato with me. As I left my en-suite, I caught a look at myself in the mirror and considering how rushed I’d been, I looked surprisingly nice. I wore some patterned white shorts and a black long sleeved vest top with black, slightly heeled, sandals since it was a hot day. I’d decided to wear a small bit of mascara and red lipstick for a change.  
When I trudged in the kitchen, I found Bes and Cato. Cato leaned against the counter eating a bowl of cereal with exactly the same tousled hair as when he woke up, but he wore a white vest top that clung to his chest and tight-fitting jeans. He looked like a freaking supermodel. The ladies were going to swoon around him more than normal. As I passed him I grabbed the bowl of cereal from his hands and began eating it myself. This was sort of routine for us; he’d make cereal, start eating it and then I’d come in and steal it. His blue eyes glittered with amusement at my frustrated expression.  
“Did you sleep in, Clove darling?” He asked with a smirk.  
I gave him a hateful glare. “Shut up Cato! Why don’t you eat at your own bloody house?”  
“And miss seeing your gorgeous ass every morning? Dream on!”  
Bes walked over and slapped him round the head. “That’s my little sister, dude!” He turned to me, “You ok, Clove? How come you slept in?”  
I tried not to glare at Cato more than I already was. “Just didn’t want to be down to early.” Bes had no idea that Cato slept in my room with me every night, if he did he would go crazy. Bes was very protective of me, he always had been. Cato was also very protective of me, but we still didn’t get on - even though he had literally spent every single night wrapped around me in my bed for the last eight years. He had snuck back into my room the following night after seeing me crying again and we had ended up falling asleep again. After two weeks it had just became a regular thing. It wasn’t something that we ever talked about, I just left my window unlocked and he let himself in. We had never once been caught in eight years. We’d come close a couple of times though. A couple of years ago, Cato’s mom had found his bed empty, but he took the hit and lied, saying he’d snuck out to a party and stayed at a friend’s. No one suspected he was next door with me.   
He still teased me like crazy and annoyed the life out of me just as much as he did when we were kids, but I always knew he would be there for me if I needed him. It was like he had a split personality. By day he would annoy me, making me crazy and angry all the time, and by night he would be the sweetest boy in the world and would cuddle me, making me feel safe and secure.  
“In case you ran into dad, you mean?” He asked with concern. I’d honestly never thought of that. Most mornings I did run into him at least a little and the way he looked at me made my stomach turn. “You know he’s gone away, right?”  
“What? Really?” I asked with my hopes rising. My dad’s out of the house most of the time anyway since he pretty much hates us, but actually not being here at all for a week? That’s heaven.  
“Yeah he’s supposed to be away the whole week. I thought he would’ve said…” Everything went a bit oddly quiet but luckily Cato broke the awkward tension.  
“Well we better get going guys, come on.” Cato said while grabbing his keys and heading to the car. As Bes strolled ahead of him he turned and whispered to me, “Someone’s looking hot today.” He looked me up and down making me want to squirm.  
“Yeah you. Is it for all your lady friends?”  
He ignored my comment about all his many sex buddies and picked out the other part of what I’d said without thinking. “You think I look hot today? Well it is just for you babe.” He winked seductively at me but I gave him the finger and walked to his car. It was a bit shabby looking but at least he had one. My brother would never get one unless he paid for it himself, and though he had a job he still had no money.  
The drive to school was like it always was. The two idiots in the front just talked about classic guy stuff like sports and all that shit while I just listened to some music in the back. Occasionally they’d ask me something but only when it was to back one of them up. Unfortunately for Cato, I always sided with my brother since I hated the very ground Cato walked on. He kept trying to smirk at me through the mirror despite the fact that he should have been concentrating on driving. I ignored him to the best of my ability. When we arrived in the car park at school, Cato pulled into the spot that people always saved for him. It was an unspoken agreement that this was Cato’s spot and no one else was to ever use it.  
People swarmed around the car immediately as they always did. The two idiots in the front were the most popular people in school because apparently asshole was an attractive quality. Who knew? Boys wanted to know them; girls wanted to shag them. I, on the other hand, wanted to be as far from them as possible so I was, as every morning, very quick to exit the car. All the girls that crowded round appeared to be missing several items of clothing and I couldn’t help make a comment to the slut-of-all-sluts, aka Tia Capan.  
“Holy shit! Tia I think you forgot you pants!” I feigned mock horror at the girl who was wearing a skirt so short it should have been a belt. The look she gave me could have killed. I heard Bes and Cato laugh in the background.  
“Whatever loser. At least I could get laid without having to pay for it!” She spat back. I ignored her and carried on walking towards my locker. It was usual for us to make these snide comments back and forth. I’d had my fun, no need to get in a fight. She had had a ‘thing’ with Cato but by that I mean she just fucked him and then he ditched her for someone else. Isn’t he charming? There’s a reason I make him wash his hands before putting them on me. I don’t want to catch anything. She never got over him though and practically begs him to get with her again. She might as well pin a sign to her head saying ‘I’m desperate’. Perhaps I’ll arrange that someday.  
I heard footsteps behind me but I presumed they were no one of importance. I was right, it was just Cato. “Hey that wasn’t very nice, Cloverfield.” He laughed as he laid an arm around my shoulder. I carried on walking. He leaned in and whispered in my ear, “sorry about this morning. And ignore Tia, she’s wrong. I know plenty guys who’d love to get with you.” He added with a flirty wink.  
I rolled my eyes. “Oh wow I feel so much better now! All your man-whorish friends would fuck me! Wow am I privileged!”  
“Well I’d happily have a piece of you, babe.” He replied in a breathy voice. Bes came up behind him and slapped him round the head.  
“Dude, little sister!” He carried on walking but grabbed Cato’s hand in the process so he tugged him away with him. I watched as they headed straight to their newest arm-candy, feeling disgusted just for knowing them. I reached my locker then and I felt happy to distract myself by loading books in and out of it. Then I heard a familiar voice that made me turn around. It was that of my friend Lucy.  
“Hey Clove!” She leaned against the locker next to mine, swishing her blonde curly hair back with one hand. “Did you ride in with hot ass one and two?”  
“Nope.” I said shutting my locker and turned to look at her. “Just regular old Bes and his jerk friend Cato.”  
My other friend Katy replied, “You gotta admit, they’re pretty damn hot!”  
“They are not. They’re just jerks.”  
Lucy sighs and fans her face, “But they’re gorgeous! How can you not be affected by them?”  
“They are both absolute whores! Seriously I don’t get how you look past that!” Bes is a lovely person but to girls he most certainly isn’t and Cato was just a jerk all-round.  
“I mean they must walk around your house half-naked like all the time! Actually, why the hell do we not spend more time at your house?”  
“Because seeing you girls drool all over them is getting old.” Will said from next to me. I didn’t even here him pop up but I was glad he saw my point. He stood next to my other friend Eve.  
“But they look like freaking sex gods! And when they’re playing hockey…it gives me fucking chills! They’re all sweaty and what not! Yummy!” I tried not to gag at her lustful expression. The bell rang and we all sighed since it meant we had to get to class. I hooked my arm through Eve’s and grabbed Lucy’s with my other hand, pulling them towards our first class. Will and Katy had a different lesson to us first. We arrived at Maths just in time.  
School was good, as usual; I was quite popular due to the fact that my brother and his best friend were the most wanted boys there. They warned all the guys to stay away from me, which actually suited me fine because I didn’t want to date most of those idiots. Most of the girls wanted to be my friends so that they could get closer to my brother. The girlfriend wannabe’s were pretty easy to see through though, mostly you could tell if they wanted an introduction, by what kind of clothes they were wearing - if they weren’t wearing much then they were after my brother or Cato. I was also quite popular amongst the teachers too because my grades were all at least B and I always did my homework and was never tardy. Classes past in a blur and it wasn’t long before lunch swung around.  
I was sat with my friends (and Will’s girlfriend, Sophie) at our table in the canteen when I heard the giggles that cued their arrival. Girls started checking their hair and make-up, including Eve and Lucy unfortunately. I ignored them and carried on eating my fries and pizza.  
“Oh my god! Oh my god! He’s coming over!” Eve squealed.  
A hand shot out from behind me and grabbed a handful of my fries much to my annoyance. I turned round and met Cato’s amused face. I gave him a deadly glare but he didn’t seem to take any notice. He shoved me along on the bench with his hip and parked himself next to me. I could feel all the girls’ eyes burning into the back of my neck.  
“Hey Cloverfield.” He breathed in my face. His tone didn’t lighten my expression.  
“Hey how about you get your own food? Seriously Cato what the fuck is your problem?! You take food from my house and from my plate at school! Please just get lost!”  
He just smirks, “What you don’t like sharing with me?” He then leans in and whispers in my ear, “you don’t mind sharing your bed.” I just sit there dumbfounded and all my friends are watching the interaction obviously wondering what it is he just said to make me look like that. Seeing my expression makes his smirk grow. Quickly I compose myself.  
He tried to steal more of my fries by stretching over me but I picked up my knife and jammed it down hard on the table just missing his fingers. “Well aren’t we skilled with knives?” He laughed at me. “What you gonna cut me with that blunt thing?”  
“What do you want Cato?” I sigh, moving my plate away from him.  
He threw his arm round my shoulder and hugged me to him. I could see the jealousy on many of my peers faces. “Am I not allowed to visit my girl? I’ve missed seeing your beautiful face.”  
Eve and Lucy stare at him dreamingly with longing evident in their faces. “I am not your girl. And get your damn hands off me, Cato! I do not want to catch something!” I scolded, shrugging his arm off of me.  
He chuckled softly, “Oh come on Clove, you love me really! Anyway I just came to tell you that your brother’s doing a shift tonight so…”  
“I get to enjoy your company.” I finished his sentence sarcastically.  
“Exactly.”  
Great! Just what I needed to make my day worse! He’d drive me home at snail’s pace just to piss me off and then he’d spend the night bugging the life out of me insisting that he couldn’t leave until Bes got home. Damn it, he’s irritating.  
“Now you better get going. Those STD’s won’t spread themselves!” I dismissed him cheerily.  
“Oh whatever, we both know you’ll be practically begging me to get in bed with you tonight!” I almost blushed at the double-meaning to his words. I was so glad no one else understood the word-play.  
“Of course I will, because I just love you! Oh won’t you be a dear and fuck my brains out tonight!”  
“It’d be my pleasure,” he took my hand and kissed it, “And I love you too.”  
Just as I thought he was finally done bugging me, he turned back around and put one hand on my waste. His other hand played with the flower still in my hair as he said loud enough for my friends to hear, “I’m glad to see you’re still wearing my flower.” He kissed the side of my head and went back to his friends.  
I watched him walk back to the same girl he had this morning. He lowered his slutty, used lips onto hers and they made out right there in the canteen. It sickened me that he’d literally just touched me with those same lips. I scrubbed at the hand he’d kissed; it felt itchy and infected. All the girls stared after him lustfully and all I could think was how much I really hated him.  
“Jeez he’s so annoying! Why can’t my brother choose good friends for God sake? Or even just ones who don’t screw anything that moves!?” I ranted.  
“Oh stop whining! Cato Hadley just had his arm round you and kissed you on the cheek, I would give anything for those sweet lips to be on me,” Eve said dreamily, making me laugh.   
“Whatever. Come on, let’s get to our next class,” I suggested as we picked up our trays and headed out. I couldn’t help but have one last look at him standing there with his arm round her not me anymore. He was looking right back at me and our eyes locked. We stared and then I shook my head and followed my friends. I almost thought he was a nice person, but almost is never enough.

After school, I took my time packing my bag up in class. I reluctantly made my way to the car park where he waited for me, leaning seductively on his car. He smiled when he saw me approaching but I wouldn’t look at him.  
“Hey beautiful.” He purred to me but I ignored him. He opened the door for me and I sat down in the seat but I was already annoyed with his flirty ass. If only Bes were here, then he would have gotten a good old slap for that comment. He climbed in next to me. “So listen, I need to stop off at the shop on the way…” He put the car in drive and pulled out of the parking lot.  
“Great.” I mumbled. I was very annoyed by this point. He attempted conversation but I’d just reply in short, dismissive answers and look out my window to try to ignore him. When we reached the store about five minutes later, he turned to me.  
“Come on, Clove.” He got out expecting me to follow but I made no move to. He stood waiting but he soon realised I wasn’t coming. Instead of accepting that fact, he came round and opened my door. “Come on, Clove.” He repeated, holding his hand out for me.  
“It doesn’t take two of us. I’m staying right here. You can’t make me come in.” I replied sulkily. He sighed and I thought that was it. I should have known that when anything involves Cato, it’s not simple. He bent down and grabbed me round the waist, hoisting me over his shoulder easily as if I weighed nothing. He laughed as he kicked the door closed and started carrying me towards the store. I kicked him hard but he didn’t let go. He laughed harder at my meagre attempts at escape.  
“Seriously put me down, Hadley! Get your damn hands off me!” I shouted, slapping his back. “Put me down, asshole!” I looked around feeling really embarrassed but apparently no one was watching. When we reached the store, he plopped me down in the aisle and I stood there glaring with my arms crossed over my chest. “That was so freaking embarrassing!” I hissed but again he laughed at me.  
“Jeez most girls would melt if I did that to them.”  
“Do I look like ‘most girls’?”  
He tucked a stray hair behind my ear, his hand lingered on my cheek and his eyes bored into mine. I slapped his hand away. “No you look far better.” He breathed in that way of his. He seemed to snap out of his weird sort of daze and mumbled something about getting a magazine for his mum. I was happily sulking when two boys stalked over to me. I visibly stiffened but pretended not to notice them. “Well hello there,” one of them purred. He was too close to me. I nodded in acknowledgement before walking off quickly to find Cato.   
“Hey, where you going?” the other guy asked, grabbing my hand.   
My heart started to race rapidly as I looked around, frantically. “I’m looking for my boyfriend,” I lied, trying to sound confident.   
“Boyfriend? I don’t see a boyfriend,” the other guy said, sneering at me and pulling me towards him slightly.   
I felt sick. Oh God, Cato, help me please! I hate people touching me, especially those I don’t know.   
“Hey, Clove,” Cato said, slinging his arm around my shoulder and glaring at the two guys who immediately took a step back. I moved closer to his side and pressed into him. “I hope you guys weren’t hitting on my girl,” he said and I could hear the anger in the tone of his voice. He was almost as protective of me as Bes and for once, I was very grateful.  
“No way, man. We were just talking, that’s all,” the guy lied, holding up his hands in innocence.   
“Good. Come on then, let’s get you home,” Cato guided me towards the door. Once we were outside, he turned to look at me. “You OK?” he asked, looking at me concerned. I was OK; my heart had stopped trying to break out of my chest as soon as I heard his voice. I smiled a small smile and muttered “thanks”.  
We got back in the car and he threw a chocolate bar into my lap. It wasn’t just any chocolate though; it was my favourite and I smiled slightly at the gesture. It was sort of sweet if it hadn’t been from Cato.

When I got home I went straight to the kitchen and started making dinner. As I went round the kitchen I felt Cato’s eyes on me making me violated as he gazed at my body. “I have eyes you know!” I cried angrily, pointing to my face. He was about to open his mouth but I cut him off, “Can you just not talk to me? I’m not in the mood for your sluttish remarks, sweetie.”  
He held his hands up in mock surrender and then he got off his ass and decided to help me prepare the pasta. He came to stand next to me and he was standing so close to me that I could feel the heat radiating from his body to mine, it was strangely calming. He helped cut up the vegetables and stuff. When I went to stir the food, I felt one of his hands snake around me and rest on my hip. His body pressed up against mine from behind and his hand wrapped around mine so we were stirring it together. For some reason him being there made me really distracted. It wasn’t long before we’d stopped stirring it and were just staring at each other. Feeling uncomfortable, I shifted out from under him.  
“I…erm…am going to start homework. That should be ready in about fifteen minutes, ok?” That felt weird being close to him like that, I could still feel the tingles of electricity flowing through my hand where he had held it, I could still smell his sweet breath that had blown across my face. I had no idea what this weird atmosphere was in the kitchen; it was all just too confusing. Right as I was leaving he grabbed my wrist and spun me so we were chest-to-chest and I had no choice but to look into his eyes. They were shining.  
“You’re not still mad at me, are you? Being bitchy doesn’t suit you, Cloverfield.” He frowned.  
“I guess not. I need to go. My homework’s calling me!” I laughed awkwardly as I left the room.

Right through dinner I kept looking up and every time I did his eyes were on me. He didn’t even look away when I caught him and he was really unnerving me. Since I’d managed to finish homework before dinner, and Bes wouldn’t be home for a while, we put a film on. Cato and I sat on the sofa, him with his arm slung lazily over the back of my chair. I kept sneaking little glances in his direction.  
When it finished I was pretty tired. I yawned, “I’m tired. I’m going to bed.” I got up stretching and he just sat there staring at me with a strange expression. I cleared my throat.  
“Oh right yeah. I’ll go home, get my stuff and be back soon.” He got up and left. I headed upstairs and got ready for bed. I slipped into bed. The bed felt cold and too big, just like it did every night. After about twenty minutes or so, I heard my window slide open and then closed again. Clothes dropped to the floor and then the bed dipped behind me.  
“You asleep yet?” He whispered to me.  
“No not yet.” I mumbled. He wrapped his arms tightly round my waist and slung his leg over mine. His chest was pressed right against mine and I heard him sigh as I wriggled to get closer to him, I loved Cato sleeping in with me, the bed didn’t feel right without him there. As much as I hated him, I loved him too. I loved how I hated him; I hated how I loved him.  
“What’s wrong?” I asked, pulling his arms tighter around me and pressing my face into his arm, smelling his beautiful scent that was like nothing else in the world. It was intoxicating.  
“Nothing. I’m just tired, that’s all,” he mumbled against the back of my head, pressing his lips into my hair.   
“OK. Goodnight,” I whispered, kissing his arm.   
“Goodnight, Cloverfield,” he replied, kissing my head again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N I hope it's not too confusing that there's a time skip. I think this is the only time that that will happen though.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

As usual my alarm rang in my ears signalling it was six already. Quickly I silenced it and looked up at the figure next to me in bed. Instead of waking him like always, I paused and just looked at him for a second. Someday, I vowed, I wouldn’t need him like I do now but I’d said this thousands and thousands of times and yet here we were. No matter how hard I tried to not need him, I did. With my eyes I traced the lines on his face as they moved with thought as he dreamed on oblivious to me. I could feel the warm air he breathed out blow into my face and somehow it soothed me. I never did understand the way he affected me and sometimes, I was glad I didn’t know. In his sleepy state, he murmured something and pulled me closer to him, if that was possible, so my head was pressed against his chest, tucked under his chin and his hands were holding me there. I sighed knowing I’d have to wake him and kick him out my bed as I didn’t want a repeat of yesterday.  
I put my mean face on and pulled his warm hands off my back making him stir. I shuffled away and rolled away facing away from him. Shutting my eyes, feigning sleep, I elbowed him hard into the stomach. This time he didn’t argue with being woken.  
“Six, Cato.” I mumbled in a fake-sleepy voice.  
“Right ok.” He kissed the back of my head and climbed over me. I heard him shuffle across the floor to his pile of clothes but I didn’t get up and follow him to the window today. I was tired of watching him go.   
After a few minutes, I figured he’d be about to go so I spoke up, “Bye.” But I wasn’t saying ‘bye’ in the way he thought; I was saying bye to night-time Cato. I heard more shuffling to my confusion so I opened my eyes and was met with his smiling face. It was the nice smile so I smiled back. He was so close I could again feel his breath on my face, warming me slightly.  
“Bye, Cloverfield.” He whispered before leaning in and pressing a long kiss to the area right above my nose. Then he was at the window, where he gave me a daytime-smirk, and then he left. In the end, I did watch him go.  
Rolling over, I buried my face into his pillow, I could still smell him and it made me feel safe and calm. I drifted back to peaceful sleep for another half-hour before having to get up again.

When I got to the kitchen I found Cato standing with my cereal again. Snatching it from him, I made my way over to the table and sat down eating. Bes was nowhere to be seen which was odd. As I sat eating, I didn’t even notice Cato come stand behind me so when I heard him speak it made me jump.  
“Guess what,” He breathed right into my ear. I tried to lean away from him. “Come on guess.”  
“Ok…” I pretended to think it over as if I really were guessing, “…you finally found your brain?”  
He laughed lightly, “No not yet.”  
“Then what?” I asked without any hint of actual interest. Before he could answer though, we heard Bes coming down the stairs coughing and cursing. He reached the door to the kitchen and he was quite the sight with his normally tamed hair all over the place, his skin pale with red patches like at the end of his runny nose, and a blanket wrapped around his hunched shoulders.  
“I’m sick.” He said bluntly coming over to me. “I’m not going in today.”  
I turned round to meet Cato’s smirking face. “So your little surprise is that I get to be stuck in the confined space of your car with only you today?”  
“That’s right, beautiful.”  
Bes wasn’t too ill to slap him round the head. “Little sister!” He reminded in his croaky voice. With that, he retreated back to his room. Cato and I made the way to his car and today I got to sit right next to him in the front. What a joy! He kept stealing glances at me the whole way but I just pretended to not notice. Half way there, the silence got to him since normally he and Bes would be bursting with conversation.  
“So…” He began, hoping I would salvage his attempt. I made no move to. “…em…you excited to see the big game on Friday?” It didn’t surprise me that he directed the topic towards the ice hockey match since that’s the type of thing him and Bes would talk about since they’re both on the team.  
“Not really.” I replied honestly.  
“Really? Not looking forward to see me all hot and sweaty?” He teased.  
“Not really.” I answered bluntly.  
“Well what about the after-party?”  
“I’m probably not going.” To this he raised an eyebrow.  
“You do know that Bes told everyone we could have it at your house since you have no supervision?”  
“WHAT?!” I yelled. How dare Bes not tell me that!? I hated these sorts of parties, not because I was a spoiled-sport, but because when they were at our house I had to clean everything up and it’s just an excuse for girls to dress with even less clothing and guys to be even more pervy.  
“I thought you knew…”  
“No I didn’t.”  
We sat in silence until we pulled into the car park. As always, the girls swarmed the car and for the second time that day, I couldn’t help feel tired of it all. This routine was getting old. Today, I didn’t stop to taunt Tia but I just kept walking towards the school building. I didn’t even look back to see Cato undoubtedly with a girl draped over him. I didn’t even wait to see if he tried to catch up with me; I just kept walking.  
When I reached my friends at my locker I gave them a small smile. “You okay there?” Sophie, Will’s girlfriend, asked me. Even though we didn’t know each other too well, I always found her really nice.  
“Yeah I’m fine, just a bit irritated.”  
“By what? Bes and Cato?” She replied lightly.  
“Just Cato. Bes is ill.”  
“WHAT?!” Lucy squealed beside me. “Can I come over after school and play sexy nurse to him?”  
I gave her an incredulous look. Was she being serious? Her face suggested she was. “Err…no you can’t. That’s just weird.” I couldn’t bother to hide my disgust.  
“Pleeeeaaaaassssseeeee….” She begged me. Before I could try and give her some sort of a reply, the bell went and we all headed to class. Then I remembered that I’d left my chemistry textbook back in my locker so I made my way quickly back to my locker. Since I was running so late, I started to run down the hallway; I could see Cato and a couple of his friends walking towards me.  
“Slow down or you’ll fall,” Cato shouted, smirking at me as I half ran, half walked towards him. As I passed him, he stuck his foot out tripping me up. Before I hit the floor he wrapped his arms tightly around my waist, and pulled me upright. “Jeez, Clove, I know I’m hot, but you don’t need to fall at my feet,” he teased, making all his friends laugh. I slapped him hard on the chest, glaring at him. “Oh I like it a bit rough, Clove, you know that,” he said, smiling wickedly. He still hadn’t let go of my waist, I noticed. He stepped forward and pressed his body against mine. I was very aware that all of his friends could see this and were smirking just like him. Night-Cato could do this; day-Cato could not. I jerked my leg up and kneed him in the balls. He grunted and let go quickly, bending in half and clutching his groin. I would not be used to amuse his idiot friends.  
As I turned and walked away, over my shoulder I shouted, “Just cause Bes isn’t here doesn’t mean you can put your damn hands on me!”  
When I came into chemitry looking even more irritated than I had done before, my friends gave me some weird looks but since most of them weren’t near me, they couldn’t ask me about it. My teacher, Mr David had put us in assigned seats in the hope that people wouldn’t talk as much and actually listen so it meant I had to sit next to people I’d rather avoid. I took my seat reluctantly next to Sarah Price. She was what you could call a ‘princess’ in the way she behaved towards people: demanding, cruel, snobbish and judgemental. She was, besides Tia Capan, my worst nightmare. I could find her more tolerable if she were actually intelligent enough to contribute to our work. Mr David set us our task and while I got to work on it, she sat there twiddling her bleach-blonde hair and looking in her pocket mirror so often she might as well leave it out of her pocket rather than pulling it out every two seconds. She was really starting to annoy me.  
“You know you could just tape that thing to you hand and then it’d be easier to see how great you look.” I snapped at her. Apparently she didn’t understand my tone of voice.  
“Thanks! You’re so smart, Clove!” She picked up the tape, put the mirror on her hand and unravelled the tape round-and-round until the mirror was in fact stuck to her hand. I just stared at her and had to stop myself laughing at her stupidity. Because of the way she’d stuck it down, she couldn’t even see in the mirror anymore anyway! “So where’s your brother today?”   
Great another fan! “He’s ill.”  
“Oh.”  
We sat in silence for a while why I copied down the equations from the whiteboard. She just kept peering over my shoulder looking very confused the whole time. Getting bored, she resorted to tapping her pen on the table and it was really annoying me. In the end, I was glad when she started a conversation just because it meant she stopped.  
“You must know Cato pretty well.” She mused. Great, someone else looking for an introduction. She was yet to be his arm-candy and was probably eyeing up the role.  
“I guess.”  
“I’ve talked to him before. He seems misunderstood.”  
“That’s nice.” I dismissed. I was just surprised she knew that big word.  
“But it’s not though. People don’t get him.” I get him pretty well. He’s an arsehole. What’s to get? “He doesn’t like all those girls he’s with; you can tell.” Wow that makes him sound even nicer! Using girls for sex! What a charmer!  
The lesson passed surprisingly quickly after that which I felt remarkably pleased by. I was glad to leave that classroom. My next lesson, maths, passed surprisingly quickly too which only left French so lunch rolled around in no time at all. I sat at the same table as always with my friends and from across the hall I caught Sarah’s eye – where she sat next to Tia at the popular girls’ table – and she smiled at me. My friends didn’t notice the exchange. I tuned into Katy and Eve’s conversation.  
“…and then Valerie laughed at me because apparently I can’t run very well! Well I’m sorry that no one can run like she can! But how mean is that?” Katy ranted to Eve.  
“Yeah I guess but maybe you could do more exercise, you know? Train up?” Eve suggested lightly, trying not to upset Katy.  
“I guess,” Katy mumbled.  
“You know who is fit though?” Lucy spoke up, making them both turn their heads in her direction. She gestured with her head so we all turned to see. Of course! She was nodding in the direction of Cato. Seeing us looking his way, he said something to his friend Steve Burden, and headed to us. Great. I turned back to my food and pushed it round my plate a bit. I felt Cato sit down next to me, but I completely ignored his presence even when he continually prodded my shoulder. Eve and Lucy were practically drooling over him from the other side of the table.  
“Hey Clove.” He poked me slightly harder. “Clove. Clove. Hey Clove. Clove.”  
“What?!”   
He smiled at having got my attention. “How’s your day been so far?”  
“Fine.”  
“Did you finally learn how much Chemistry we have in first lesson?”   
I rolled my eyes at him. “No but I did learn that I will spontaneously combust if I’m next to you for too long so you better get going.”  
“Well babe you do look hot.” He winked. Again I rolled my eyes. “Right I best be going but I’ll see you after school at the end of the day.”  
“Whatever.”  
Finally he got up and left to go back to his idiot friends and hit latest screw. My lunch didn’t seem as appetising anymore so I just pushed it into the middle of the table with disdain. Eve and Lucy just sighed and gushed about him so I tuned them out and listened to Will and Sophie about their date tonight. It was a much more pleasant topic.  
The rest of the day flew by in a blur but I longed the clock to stop ticking because it was getting nearer and nearer for me to see Cato again. When the final bell did sound, everyone was quick to leave but I took my time in packing up my bags prolonging the inevitable. As soon as I left the room I spotted the slouching figure leaning against the wall next to the door. He smirked at me and immediately grabbed his backpack that had been on the floor beside him, swinging it over his shoulder and falling into step beside me. We were so close, our shoulders brushed. We walked to his car together and he held open the door for me to get in. He then went round and got in the driver’s seat. He started the engine and we drove towards home.  
“Do you need to stop off anywhere on the way?” He asked, glancing at me.  
“No I don’t think so.” I replied, turning to look out of the window, ignoring his gaze.  
He fumbled in his pocket for a moment before pulling out his flashy phone and throwing it into my lap. I just stared at it. “Text your brother, will you? Check he doesn’t need anything.” I didn’t question his request and sent my brother a quick text. We both knew that whenever Bes was ill, he would keep his phone in his hand no matter where he was, even if he was sleeping. He responded almost immediately.  
“He says no.”  
Cato sighed heavily. “Maybe my parents need something? Text them.”  
I felt a bit uncomfortable texting his parents on his phone but I had spoken to them before so there was no reason to feel like that. We sat in silence waiting for his phone to vibrate signalling a response from his mother.  
“Nope. They don’t need anything, Cato. Let’s go home.”  
“Actually I think that I need-“  
I cut him off. “Jeez Cato! Why are you so damn desperate to not go home?! Are you scared of Bes or something?! Huh, why?!” I was really getting annoyed with him. He’d really made my mood sour.  
“No. I just….never mind.” I assumed he probably just wanted to flirt with some hot girl he knew worked there or something so I didn’t bother to press for details. We remained in silence the rest of the way, him with a blank expression and I seething inside. When we reached home, I practically leapt out of his car. As I reached the front door and pulled out my key, I noticed that Cato had not gone home. Since Bes was home, there was no reason for him to come in but perhaps he wanted to just to piss me off. That’s the sort of thing he would do.  
I glared at him and stepped inside, trying to shut the door on him but he grabbed it and opened it, stepping inside. “Can you not even go home?” I hissed but he ignored me and made his way to the living room. “Bes I’m home!” I shouted up the stairs. A minute or so later, Bes popped his head round the top of the stairs and smiled at me. He didn’t look much better than he had this morning but I gave him a small encouraging smile. He made his way down the stairs to me, coughing all the way. “You okay, Bes? You don’t look too good.”  
He waved his hand in a dismissing gesture and went into the living room. “What’re you doing here,” He coughed, “Cato?”  
“Oh em I thought since you’re unwell you might be in bed so Clove here might need some company or help with things.”  
“Oh ok” Cough, “then. Thanks for that.” He went back upstairs and into his room.  
I didn’t spend time with Cato since I could barely stand him, so I spent my time in my room doing homework. I could hear him downstairs watching the TV and I really didn’t see the point in him sticking around to be ‘my company’ or whatever when he wasn’t even in my company. It was shit idea anyway but he might as well pretend he’s doing it. Honestly, I don’t know what made him stay around. My thoughts were broken when I heard the doorbell go. I couldn’t help but wonder who would be ringing the doorbell. Cato’s parents perhaps? I abandoned my homework and got up, making my way down the stairs. Cato had already gotten the door.  
Suddenly I saw a face I recognised well. I thought she’d been kidding but evidently not. It was Lucy. “So where is that brother of yours then?” She asked, eyeing up Cato out of the corner of her eye.  
“He’s upstairs in his room but – “ Before I could finish she’d dashed past me and bound up the stairs, then she burst into Bes’ room. We heard a startled gasp. It wasn’t long before Bes emerged from his room looking very unhappy. I wasn’t sure whether it was because he found her annoying or because a girl who adored him was seeing him on his worst day.  
“Why did you invite your friend over?” He asked me, giving me a murderous glare.  
“I didn’t. She just came.”  
He turned to her and she was stroking his bicep. He sighed angrily and went back to his room with her following behind him. Cato and I exchanged looks and we couldn’t help laughing a little bit.  
“See I like this Clove better. Come watch TV with me, Cloverfield.”  
The way he looked at me was full of persuasion. I followed him and sat down on one of the couches. He decided to take the seat right beside me meaning we were so close that our legs were right against each other. I felt slightly uncomfortable about it as my senses were on full-alert all of a sudden. I couldn’t even focus on whatever we were watching, especially when Cato draped his arm on the back of the sofa so if I leaned back, I’d be resting on it. We watched it for hours and I completely forgot that Lucy was even upstairs harassing my brother, until she came downstairs and sat on my other side.   
“Are you done harassing my brother?”  
“I guess. He fell asleep a while ago. So what’s going on here then?” She waggled her eyebrows, gesturing to Cato and I. I felt him stiffen next to me for some reason but when I looked at him, his face was expressionless and his eyes were glued to the screen as if he completely oblivious to us.  
“Nothing.”  
“Really? You look pretty cosy to me…” She said suggestively.  
“Nope.” I dismissed it abruptly. She huffed slightly, clearly not happy with my response.  
“Right well I guess I’ll be off. See you tomorrow, Clove.” With that she got up and headed to the door. I heard it shut behind her and Cato still looked the same as before but slightly less stiff. I wondered what got under his skin. After another hour I was getting pretty tired and I still had no idea what the hell we were watching. I yawned for what must have been the billionth time, and I unconsciously snuggled into Cato’s side. Again he stiffened but less noticeably. I tucked my legs up beneath me so my knees just rested on the top of his left leg. As hard as I tried, my eyes didn’t want to stay open and my lids just kept drooping until eventually I closed them, snuggling more and grabbing a fistful of Cato’s shirt in my hand.   
I don’t know at what point I fell asleep but when I woke up, I was groggy and I was in Cato’s arms bridal style, going up the stairs towards my room. Since I was tired, my brain wasn’t functioning properly so I didn’t even think about how weird a reaction it was when my fist on his shirt tightened and I snuggled even closer into his chest. I also didn’t question it when I thought about how strong he was, how fit he was or how wonderful he smelled. He looked down at me and seemed to notice that I was half-awake. He gave me a soft smile and when we reached my room, he turned to lock the door before settling me on the floor. I was too tired to think. I found a random pair of pyjamas without really looking at them, and I just decided to whip my top off right then. I forgot that Cato was in the room, sitting on the bed, watching me undress. After removing my clothes, I stood in just my underwear and I could feel his gaze fixed on me but I didn’t really care. I pulled on the pyjama top and shorts without question then pushed past him and climbed into bed.  
When he climbed in after me he was quicker than usual to pull me right against him: my back to his chest. He slung his leg over mine so he could push us even closer. I shut my eyes again as he shuffled around a bit, probably trying to get comfortable. I felt something press against my back but I ignored it. I drifted into sleep with thoughts of Cato though I really wish I didn’t.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N At the moment I'm just trying to introduce their normal routine, like a background to the story. Hope you like it. Let me know what you thought of this chapter and feel free to point out any of my mistakes etc.

**Author's Note:**

> Hi. This is my first story on here but it's also posted on fanfiction.net. I hope you liked it and please let me know what you think of it...? Thank you!!!


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